Tiryns (pronounced /ˈtɪrɪnz/ or /ˈtaɪrɪnz/; Ancient Greek: Τίρυνς; Modern Greek: Τίρυνθα) is a Mycenaean archaeological site located in Argolis, a region in the Peloponnese. It is the place where the mythical hero Heracles was said to have completed his Twelve Labors. Tiryns is located 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Mycenae.
Tiryns was a hill fort with evidence of human activity dating back about 7,000 years, before the start of the Bronze Age. It became most important between 1400 and 1200 BC, when it was one of the key centers of the Mycenaean world, especially in Argolis. Its most famous features included its palace, massive stone tunnels, and strong walls, which earned it the name "mighty walled Tiryns" in ancient Greek poetry. Tiryns was linked to myths about Heracles because the city was where he lived during his labors, and some sources say it was his birthplace.
The palace of Tiryns had a large reception hall called a megaron. In this room, a throne was placed against the right wall, and a central fireplace was surrounded by four wooden columns that supported the roof. These columns were similar to those used in Minoan architecture. Two of the three walls of the megaron were later used in an ancient temple dedicated to Hera. The site declined after the Mycenaean period ended, and by the time the writer Pausanias visited in the 2nd century AD, the area was completely abandoned.
Around 1300 BC, the citadel and lower town of Tiryns had a population of 10,000 people, covering 20–25 hectares. Even after the palace was destroyed around 1200 BC, the city's population grew, reaching 15,000 people by 1150 BC.
Tiryns, along with the nearby ruins of Mycenae, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. This recognition highlights its remarkable architecture and its importance in understanding the development of Ancient Greek civilization.
Legend
Tiryns is first mentioned by Homer, who described its huge walls. Ancient people believed that the Cyclopes built the walls because only very strong giants could move the huge stones. In the 2nd century AD, the geographer Pausanias saw the walls and wrote that two mules working together couldn't move even the smallest stones.
Another tradition connects the walls to Proetus, the brother of Acrisius, king of Argos. According to the legend, Proetus, chased by his brother, fled to Lycia. With the help of the Lycians, he returned to Argolis. There, Proetus took control of Tiryns and strengthened its walls with the help of the Cyclopes. Greek stories connect the three important places in Argolis with three legendary heroes: Acrisius, who founded the city of Argos; his brother Proetus, who founded Tiryns; and his grandson Perseus, who founded Mycenae. However, this tradition started during the early historical period when Argos was trying to become the most powerful city in the region and needed a proud history to compete with other cities.
History
The area has been home to people since ancient times. A small settlement from the Neolithic period existed there.
Around the middle of the 3rd millennium BC, the site was a growing early pre-Hellenic settlement. It was located about 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Mycenae, on a hill that was 300 m (980 ft) long, 45–100 m (148–328 ft) wide, and no more than 18 m (59 ft) high. From this time, a large circular structure remained under the courtyard of a Mycenaean palace. It measured 28 m (92 ft) in diameter. This structure seems to have been a place of safety during wartime or the home of a king. Its base was strong, built with two walls that circle around each other, with additional walls crossing between them, making the total thickness 45 m (148 ft). The upper part was made of clay, and the roof used fire-baked tiles.
The first Greek people, who created the Middle Helladic civilization and later the Mycenaean civilization, settled in Tiryns at the start of the Middle Helladic period (2000–1600 BC).
During the Late Helladic period, known as the Mycenaean era, the city grew the most. The Acropolis was built in three stages: the first at the end of Late Helladic II (1500–1400 BC), the second during Late Helladic III (1400–1300 BC), and the third at the end of Late Helladic III B (1300–1200 BC). The ruins of the Mycenaean citadel date to the end of the third stage. The city itself was located on the plain below the Acropolis.
A disaster that affected Mycenaean centers at the end of the Bronze Age also impacted Tiryns. However, the palace area remained inhabited until the early Archaic period, ending in the middle of the 8th century BC. Later, a temple was built on the ruins of the palace. In the post-palatial LH IIIC period (around 1180 BC), a large collection of valuable items, including gold and silver objects and a Minoan signet ring from the 15th century BC, was placed in a cauldron in Tiryns’s lower town, within the remains of a Mycenaean house.
At the start of the Classical period, Tiryns, like Mycenae, became a less important city. According to Herodotus, after Cleomenes I of Sparta defeated the Argives, their slaves occupied Tiryns for many years. Herodotus also notes that Tiryns participated in the Battle of Plataea in 480 BC with 400 hoplites. Even as they declined, Mycenae and Tiryns remained a concern to the Argives, who claimed the glory of their legendary ancestors in political messages. In 468 BC, Argos destroyed both Mycenae and Tiryns. Pausanias wrote that the people were moved to Argos to increase its population. However, Strabo said many Tirynthians left to found the city of Halieis, now known as Porto Heli.
Despite its historical importance, Tiryns and its myths were not widely covered in ancient epics or plays. Pausanias wrote a short description of Tiryns (2.25.8), and later travelers searching for places linked to ancient heroes did not recognize its significance.
Excavations
The Acropolis was first dug up by Alexandros Rizos Rangavis and the German scholar Friedrich Thiersch in 1831. In August 1876, after some test digs, Heinrich Schliemann believed the palace of Tiryns was from the medieval period. Because of this, he almost destroyed the remains to dig deeper for treasures from the Mycenaean era. He returned in 1884 with more experience and worked there for five months. Later, Wilhelm Dörpfeld, who was the director of the German Archaeological Institute, led the next phase of excavation. This time, the ruins were measured correctly.
Dörpfeld later continued the work with help from other German archaeologists, and they kept digging until 1938. From 1910, Georg Karo led the excavations. However, the "Tiryns Treasure" was first uncovered in 1915 by the Greek archaeologist Apostolos Arvanitopoulos, who was stationed in the area as a reserve officer of the Hellenic Army during Karo's absence. Karo was removed from his position at the German Archaeological Institute in late 1916, and work at Tiryns stopped until the end of World War I in 1918. After World War II (1939–1945), the German Institute and the Greek Archaeological Service continued the work. Specific excavations took place in 1977, 1978/1979, and again in 1982/83.
Archaeological site
The walls cover the entire top of the hill. Their bases remain along their full length, and their height reaches up to 7 meters in some places, which is slightly less than the original height estimated at 9–10 meters. The walls are thick, usually 6 meters wide, and even thicker—up to 17 meters—at the points where tunnels pass through. A strong wall running across the acropolis divides it into two sections. The southern section contains the palace buildings, while the northern section only protects the top of the hill. In this northern section, which dates to the end of the Mycenaean era, small gates and tunnels occasionally open. These tunnels have triangular roofs and were used as hiding places for people from the lower city during times of danger.
The entrance to the citadel was always on the east side, but its position and design changed during three construction phases. In the second phase, the gate resembled the Lion Gate of Mycenae. A tower stood on the left side of the gate, and a section of the wall extended to the right. This design made the gate secure because attackers had to pass through a narrow path, while defenders could attack them from above and both sides. In the third phase, the gate was moved farther outward. Inside the citadel, the king’s palace was similar to that of Mycenae, with dimensions 11.8 meters by 9.8 meters. It had three sections: an outer portico with two columns, a prodomos (a room leading to the main area), and a domos (the main room) with a circular fireplace surrounded by four wooden columns. The palace also had side rooms that appear to have had a second floor.
The outer walls of the palace were decorated with rich designs. At the bottom, alabaster slabs with carved rosettes and flowers were placed. The rest of the walls were covered with frescoes (paintings). Three doors led from the outer portico into the prodomos, and another door led into the domos. In the middle of the eastern wall, the floor shows where the royal throne was located. The floor was decorated with images of different themes near the walls and between the columns of the fireplace. The walls were also painted.
In the ruins of a mansion that burned in the 8th century BC, a Doric temple was built during the Geometric period. This temple was smaller than the mansion and had two parts: a prodomos and a cella (main room). The temple’s width was slightly more than half the width of the mansion, and its back wall reached the height of the rear columns of the fireplace. Three water sources provided water to the area: one on the western side of a large courtyard, which could be reached through a hidden entrance, and two at the end of the north wall, which were accessed through tunnels. These and similar structures found in other shelters show that care was taken to ensure access to water during times of siege, just as in other Mycenaean acropolises.